Bigsby vibrato tailpiece

The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece (or Bigsby for short) is a mechanical vibrato device for electric guitar designed by Paul Bigsby and produced by the Bigsby Electric Guitar Company (an independently operated subsidiary of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation since Bigsby’s purchase from Gretsch in January 2019).[1] The device allows the pick hand to bend the pitch of notes or entire chords for various musical effects.[2]

Bigsby was inspired to create a new vibrato system after being tasked by Merle Travis to repair the Kauffman Vibrola vibrato on his Gibson L-10.[3] The first system went to Travis in 1951.[3][1] By the mid-1950s, Bigsby had ceased production of his own guitars to focus on producing a range of vibrato tailpieces.[1]

Design

The Bigsby vibrato unit is installed on the guitar top, and includes a rocking rather than roller bridge. The lever arm of a Bigsby is spring-loaded and attached to a pivoting metal bar, around which the strings of the guitar are installed. In the neutral position the pressure of the spring counterbalances the pull of the strings, maintaining a neutral pitch When the arm of the Bigsby is pushed the bridge rocks forward, causing the strings to loosen and lowering their pitch. Lifting the arm raises the pitch of the strings.[3]

The Bigsby is highly controllable within its range of motion and usually requires little force to operate. It is ideally suited to musicians who use slow, subtle, or extended bends. It has limited range compared to vibrato units using longer internal springs, such as the Floyd Rose and Fender “strat-style” synchronized tremolo.

Bigsby vibratos are still factory-installed on a variety of electric guitars, including certain instruments branded as PRS (Starla), Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Hamer, Ibanez, and Schecter Guitar Research, as well as luthiers companies such as MotorAve. Many electric guitars can also be retrofitted with a Bigsby, which requires no additional routing, but may require additional holes to be drilled. Adapters, such as the models sold by Vibramate, can be used to install a Bigsby Vibrato on a guitar without drilling any holes. Variations in guitars, such as between flat top and archtop, require different models of Bigsby.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Beckner, Justin (August 8, 2022). "The Story of Bigsby Guitars: the solidbody electric guitar's unsung hero". Guitar. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Babiuk, Andy (2009). The Story of Paul Bigsby The Father of the Modern Electric Solid Body Guitar. FG Publishing. ISBN 9781476854885.
  3. ^ a b c Price, Huw (July 22, 2022). "Everything you need to know about the Bigsby vibrato". Guitarist. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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